<!DOCTYPE html>
<html>
<head>
<meta charset="UTF-8">
<title>Malicious Compliance by MarvelousMenagerie (HiddenOne)</title>
<style type="text/css">

body { background-color: #ffffff; }
.CI {
text-align:center;
margin-top:0px;
margin-bottom:0px;
padding:0px;
}
.center   {text-align: center;}
.cover    {text-align: center;}
.full     {width: 100%; }
.quarter  {width: 25%; }
.smcap    {font-variant: small-caps;}
.u        {text-decoration: underline;}
.bold     {font-weight: bold;}
</style>
</head>
<body>
<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/29123298">Malicious Compliance</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/HiddenOne/pseuds/MarvelousMenagerie'>MarvelousMenagerie (HiddenOne)</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Marvel, Marvel Cinematic Universe</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Alpha Tony Stark, Alpha/Beta/Omega Dynamics, Alternate Universe - No Powers, Arranged Marriage, Fluff, M/M, Omega Bucky Barnes, or more arranged contract</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2021-02-04</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2021-02-04</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-13 05:34:56</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Teen And Up Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>1,046</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/29123298</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/HiddenOne/pseuds/MarvelousMenagerie</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Their families arranged the contract for mutual benefit, but it was always temporary. </p><p>Bucky and Tony weren't supposed to actually like each other.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>James "Bucky" Barnes/Tony Stark</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>14</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>349</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Collections:</b></td><td>Winteriron Winter Stockings 2020</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>Malicious Compliance</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><ul class="associations">



        <li>In response to a prompt by
            <a href="https://archiveofourown.org/users/27dragons/pseuds/27dragons">27dragons</a>  in the  <a href="https://archiveofourown.org/collections/winteriron_winter_stockings_2020">winteriron_winter_stockings_2020</a>
          collection.
        </li>
    </ul><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>The prompt "When did I agree to that?" was what started his but it didn't end up getting worked in. Pretend it's when Bucky was talking to his dad XD</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Bucky woke to a face full of pillow that couldn’t quite block the soft mutterings coming from his bed companion.</p><p>He rolled over, giving him a gulp of fresh air, and smacked into Tony’s legs. Tony was reclined up against the headboard, phone in hand that was receiving his mutterings as he poked at the screen. As Bucky listened in, it sounded less like Tony was talking to someone and more just that something on the display vexed him.</p><p>“Morning.” Bucky rested his head on Tony’s bare thigh and suppressed a yawn. “Don’t suppose you made me coffee. Wouldn’t say no to breakfast in bed, either.”</p><p>The muttering stopped, and Bucky felt Tony startle. “Oh, uh, morning. Sorry if I woke you, I thought if I stayed that would be less likely to happen than if I got up so -”</p><p>“It’s fine,” Bucky interrupted, though he made no move to get up himself. Tony’s thigh was quite comfortable even as tension started to build. He had a front row seat watching Tony try not to get too excited about where Bucky’s head was positioned, and he gave Tony a half-lidded smile. “But your helpless little omega wouldn’t say no to some coffee.”</p><p>Tony snorted and threaded a hand through Bucky’s hair, first tentative and then less so when he didn’t flinch away. Tony scratched at his scalp, and he hummed in pleasure. Who said alphas couldn’t be trained?</p><p>“Helpless little omega?” Tony questioned. “That’s not what you were saying last night.”</p><p>Bucky thought about biting Tony. All it would take was a turn of the head, and he knew Tony’s thighs were delicious from last night. Tony looked down at him with amusement, like he knew what his plan was.</p><p>“Now it’s morning and your omega tribute needs coffee.”</p><p>“Coffee I can do,” Tony said, grinning, and slipped out from under Bucky. He was naked, and stayed naked, as he padded to the kitchen.</p><p>Bucky watched him leave without shame, though maybe a little bit of a blush. He flopped back on the bed when Tony was gone to the kitchen and beamed at the ceiling.</p><p>This was not what he expected when he’d presented as an omega. Certainly not what he pictured when his dad said someone was interested in a match, and that Bucky had better make a good impression or else.</p><p>Bucky’s life had been nothing but good impressions. He’d done well in school, getting solid grades even if had to work for them. He was a champion boxer and ran track, a dependable anchor for the relay since he’d been a freshman. He helped out Ma with her volunteer work at church, and he even wasn’t a terrible big brother to Becca. He’d been a star student, star athlete, star son up until his presentation had arrived and all of a sudden nothing Bucky did was good enough anymore. He’d had to work twice as hard, even with Steve - lucky enough to wind up a beta, and no one had seen that one coming but Bucky himself - yelling at him and everyone else that Bucky shouldn’t have to prove himself.</p><p>Talks of college scholarships had dried up, and all Bucky could afford was to live at home and go to the community college. His dad breathed down his neck everyday about where he was and what he was up to, but at least it meant he’d been there for Becca.</p><p>Then Howard Stark had had a small public scandal, derogatory comments that a journalist happened to overhear, and all of a sudden the Starks needed to save face by having their prized alpha son date someone who wasn’t high society, at least for a while. Army buddies Bucky’s dad kept in touch with made the connection, and Bucky and Tony had a meet-cute in a park and magically hit it off for the cameras. They’d signed the temporary contract papers the next day.</p><p>The terms were meant to end, of course. Bucky’s family got a kick-back for keeping quiet about the whole affair, and they’d quietly part ways once the media circus had moved on.</p><p>Bucky and Tony weren’t supposed to actually like each other.</p><p>“I come bearing gifts of coffee,” Tony crowed as he came back, two mugs in hand. “You want anything else I think we’ll have to go out. Kitchen is frighteningly empty. Or order in, I’m sure I’ll convince Marie to deliver bagels to us one of these days.”</p><p>Bucky sat up and Tony handed off one of the mugs before carefully slipping back into bed so as not to spill.</p><p>“She’s never delivering.” Bucky shook his head in amusement as he blew on his coffee.</p><p>“I just haven’t found the right price point yet,” Tony sniffed. “There’s a whole market for bagel delivery, she’s just being stubborn.”</p><p>He took a sip of his coffee and grinned. “Even then I bet she won’t deliver to <em>you</em>.”</p><p>Tony gasped, hand to his chest. “Rude!”</p><p>The spoiled, egocentric alpha of Bucky’s nightmares hadn’t fit the awkward nerd he’d met. The look of relief on Tony’s face when Bucky had been a raging, simmering storm underneath the placid smile he’d used when his dad was around had knocked Bucky back on his heels. Tony had wanted someone else to realize how fucked this was and while Bucky had been all set to argue boundaries, Tony had whispered the choice of either a raging fight that would serve both their families right or malicious compliance. Bucky had been interested just enough in this alpha to see how this played out.</p><p>Turned out Tony was smart and sweet, a little forgetful and a lot talkative. Bucky had been charmed and wanted to date for real, though they were still feeling each other out. </p><p>And there was a vindictive part of him that enjoyed telling his dad about how wonderful Tony was as Bucky moved out of his childhood home and into Tony’s apartment.</p><p>Bucky snuggled into Tony’s side, skin pressed against skin. Tony looked surprised but delighted as he tossed an arm around Bucky, grinning with satisfied alpha pride. Bucky didn’t mind. He could bite Tony for the ego after the coffee, if he still wanted.</p><p>Tony would let him pick the spot. </p>
  </div></div>
</body>
</html>